EP Workshop on professional regulation

On 11 July 2017 the MEP Nicola Danti, rapporteur for the “EC reform recommendations for regulation in professional services” (part of the EC services package) has organised and chaired a workshop on reforming professional services. Stakeholders from the EP, the EC, Member States administrations, professional organisations and Universities were discussing the difficult question of how to ensure a balanced approach between protecting public interest objectives and de-regulating professions in order to gain economic growth. Once again it became clear that while agreeing on certain aims is relatively easy, agreement on adequate and efficient approaches is something different. While economists focused on the potential economic growth / growth of productivity based on professional deregulation, professional representatives criticised that many studies on economic impacts do neither adequately take into account the potential negative (economic) impacts of deregulation nor the essential differences between professional services and other services. The new EC restrictiveness indicator presented in the reform recommendations and its advantages/disadvantages were discussed and practical examples of Member States’ regulatory frameworks presented.

Rudi Kolbe, CEPLIS President and representative of ECEC in CEPLIS stressed that while aiming at proportionate and smart regulation it must remain possible to protect public interest objectives based on the special role of liberal professions - such as chartered engineers - in regard to public trust and responsibility, safety and consumer protection.